Rise Against: Siren Song Of The Counter CultureSiren Song Of The Counter Culture (2004)Universal Music Group

Reviewer Rating: 3.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: CubarichoCubaricho(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on August 10th 2004Amidst speculation concerning their signing to a major and the leaving of guitarist Todd a lot was on the line with this album. Possibly one of the most commented on stories in Punknews.org history, Rise Against had explained their move from Fat Wreck Chords to Dreamworks. Could this spell disas.

Amidst speculation concerning their signing to a major and the leaving of guitarist Todd a lot was on the line with this album. Possibly one of the most commented on stories in Punknews.org history, Rise Against had explained their move from Fat Wreck Chords to Dreamworks. Could this spell disaster for the band that had become a hardcore-punk staple? Then with the news of their guitarist leaving the band and being replaced with Reach The Sky's Chris Chase, the rumor mill was set ablaze with accusation of their sound changing, but no one really knew for sure.

How would all of these changes change Rise Against, or would they not change at all? To put it bluntly, Siren Song Of The Counter Culture was shaping up to be a pivotal album for Rise Against.

As much as I could, I tried to go into this album with an open mind. But after hearing "State of the Union" I was getting apprehensive. I went in expecting the worst. Upon first listen I gave it a five out of ten. The first three songs didn't do much for me; the album seemed to be riding in third gear until track four ("Paper Wings"). When this song came on, I knew it was the Rise Against I had been looking for. After kicking it into fifth gear they kept up the energy and power you've come to associate with Rise Against. Tim's voice has never sounded better and the few extra screams from Chase add a little flavor, especially in "To Them These Streets Belong." After that, the band takes us through "Blood To Bleed," and "Tip The Scales" (which in this reviewers humble opinion should be the single if there is to be one). The lyrics range from finding out where you came from and finding where you're going to revolution in the form of protests.

Tracks 9 and 11 we've heard before, the previously released "Give it All" and "Swing Life Away." Good songs, certainly, but I could've done with two more new songs in their place. Sandwiched between these two songs however is "Dancing For Rain" one of the gems of the record. With an acoustic intro and breakdown you can see where the extra recording budget went. After that, we come to the shining moment of this record. The brilliant "Rumors Of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated" could be (in my opinion) one of the best songs ever recorded. If there ever were a Siren Song for Rise Against, it would have to be this song. It shows despair but with hope on the horizon with lyrics like:

"when we build these dreams on sand,
how they all sift through our hands,
and this might be our only chance.
let's take this one day at a time,
I'll hold your hand if you hold mine,
the time that we kill keeps us alive."

It's the jaw dropping track this record needed to propel it forward.

Like I said before, after my first listen I had given it a five out of ten. After repeated listens however, it moved up the scale. At this point (after several consecutive listens in many different locales) I will stand firmly at a seven out of ten. I really think Rise Against can do better than this. The album isn't horrible, but we have all seen their true potential. The Unraveling was great and Revolutions Per Minute was better. Siren Songs, however, did not live up to its true potential.

i love this cd i listenting to it constaily even if i had this cd for a year i still listen to it very good cd the first three songs kick major ass
state of the union
the first drop
Life Less Frightening
some great lyrics like this
Weā??re meant for something more than living just to put food on our plates
I canā??t help but wonder--why should we participate?

and

So please believe your eyes, a sacrifice,
is not what we had in our minds,
I'm coming home tonight, home tonight

overall great cd

Anonymous (January 22, 2006)

Alot of the same down here. I bought this cd not even knowing who Rise Against were, and after the first listen through, I knew why.

It was kind of...craptastic.

HOWEVER, after giving a few more thorough listenings-through, I can honestly say: This may well be the greatest cd ever recorded. It's easily my favorite, with 'Rumors' being top five for favorite song. I've since heard alot of their older stuff, and it seems like this cd hammers out alot of the problems that Revolutions had (i.e, just a little TOO over the top ((if there is such a thing))) and it made Siren Song perfectly listenable.

This is their worst album to date, which means that it is still better than 99% of the other shit out there.

Anonymous (July 25, 2005)

great album once it gets going

BUT there show here in denver has been sold out for a month cause the radio played "swing life away" to death.
Now everyone is into them

Anonymous (July 21, 2005)

"where the fuck will u hide
hiding from the laughter in the shadows of our lives
but the door hindges are squeaking letting in thin shards of light
and then a hand extending outward
quiet comfort they invite
but do we dare take what they offer do we step into the light?" rumors is by far the best track on the cd i too like many was at first a little unhappy w/ the first 3 songs. they and the rest of them grew on me tho and now i can say this is one of my top 5 fav cds of all time.

Rise Against is still awesome. The song Give it All is better than on Rock Against Bush, and the other songs, like Paper Wings, most certainly kick ass.

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

What is up with the FBI warning?!?!

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

great album, pick it up now. only $9.99 CDN, best $10 ive ever spent!

Anonymous (September 4, 2004)

At first i was pretty pissed about this cd because rise against has established themselves as one of my favorite newer bands with their previous two cds and i thought this one was gonna let me down what with all the changes and the accoustic track, but everytime i listen to it i like it a little more and now i think its a great cd. a few things i woulda changed; the re-recorded versions of give it all and swing life away, the original give it all was badass and i loved it, the second sucked, and if they had to have an accoustic song on the cd the old swing life away was better sounding, less backing vocals, and on a song like that you definately dont need tons of backing vocals. but they shoulda left it at the punk goes accoustic piece of shit and moved on with their lives

Anonymous (September 2, 2004)

i think RPM is better than SSOTCC. simply because RPM is way more dramatic and powerful.

i hope they'll do it better, next time.

Anonymous (August 31, 2004)

This CD kicks ass. I don't know if I like it better than RPM but its still good shit. Can't wait till the Bad religion tour.

So they switched to a major. Cry about it. Their still one of the best bands out there.

RISE AGAINST OWNS YOUR ASS!

*buttbadger*

Anonymous (August 25, 2004)

for future posts:
"TU rocks, this is as good/almost as poor as RPM" has been said 30 times.
get over it, we all know it's cooler to like the old stuff than the new stuff

Production is Poor? Ya right they switched to a MAJOR LABEL and the quality gets worse... keep telling yourself that. I think the quality is amazing compared to the The Unraveling and on par with RPM. Seems to me they concetrated more on vocals/lyrics in this release; which is definately their strong point so no I don't think it hurt at all. I've grown to like this cd as much if not more than RPM and believe me I was obsessed with that cd. My only worry is that they won't be able to perform these songs as well live as they did tracks off RPM, being the fact that this cd is obviously more produced being on a major. I don't think I'll ever be able to decide which was better, This or RPM? They're both amazing.

Anonymous (August 24, 2004)

I'm usually one to agree with the band when they progress their music through new albums rather than staying with the same sound every time. RA has been one of my favorites in the last couple of years, great sound, great messages, and a passion that really comes through on the albums. This is still an RA album, but it is a disappointment.

First the production is pretty poor, I can't believe that moving to a major sounds worse than the Fat recordings. Not sure what this new guy did, but something is goofy as hell with the mixing. I thought something was wrong with my headphone connection the first time I listened on headphones.

There are some good tracks, I love the first track, and Give It All, Swing Life Away, some other I can't think of at the moment. Many of the tracks are catchy - but it sounds like they are trying to get radio play way too hard. Paper Wings is the first Rise Against song I truely dislike, and what's with all of the fruity background singing? I thought Give It All was great on Rock Against Bush but this new recording slowed it down, pronounced the words more clearly, and added cute background vocals.

Good, but disappointing, and I get the feeling the Rise Against that once was won't ever be back. I'll never understand why you'd ever go from Fat to a major.

Anonymous (August 21, 2004)

hahah.. when has rise against ever been hardcore? i dont even know where the eff that came from. they may incorporate it a little into a few of their songs, but theres no reason to expect a full fledged hardcore album from them. anyways.. i was pretty impressed upon hearing this album for the first time.. although different, state of the union is a very awesome song. a life less frightening is one of my favorite songs on the album.. so beautiful. but yes.. i think the songs all flow really well, and they did a pretty good job. of course its not the same as revolutions per minute or the unraveling.. how could you expect that? well.. yeah. rise against owns you.

one more quick thing that I wanted to comment on..... to my complete surprise, this album although on a major label, the quality of the songs doesn't sound anywhere near as clean or mastered as well as RPM, I like it because it also doesn't sound very pop, but at the same time.... the songs don't sound as clean and mastered as well as those on RPM, again, anyone agree or disagree and wanna discuss, IM me....... Brennanj22

I think this albums great! especially considering they're on a major label now. Look how bad AFI got when they signed to this label (just my opinion because I don't like their new style). It's good to see that Rise Against didn't make a dramatic change in their style like AFI.

I felt the same as most people, when I first listened to the songs, I didn't really like it as much as Revolutions, and I still don't, but maybe that's just because I've had RPM for longer and the songs have had that much more time to grow on me, as I'm sure these songs will.

I can't wait to see Rise Against, I wish they were on the Rock Against Bush tour.... seeing them and Strike Anywhere play the same show would be incredible!

any comments on this IM me, I'm always bored...

Anonymous (August 19, 2004)

ice-cold is dead-on right.

Listening to this today on the train going to work, I had to put it on repeat. It's just that great, and get's better with every listening. RPM took a few listens to get into, same with this.

Anonymous (August 18, 2004)

RISE AGAINST KICKS ASS!!!

Best song of this album is 'Dancing For Rain' although they're all good!

decent review, although I highly doubt you gave the album the time it deserved. Eventually this will be another classic RA album. People can deny it but this is the same Rise Against taking it a step further. EVERY song on here is good and that can be seen in all the random reviews where one guy will tell you Swing Life Away is the best song, next review will say they went soft and State of the Union is the only worthy song. That proves the depth of this album and how everyone seems to have their own personal favorite. Same goes for TU vs RPM, people always argue which is better. Enough just admit to yourself they both rock and same with this. I can HARDLY wait to see them play some of my favorites live: Life Less Frightening[how could this song not do it for the reviewer? one of RAs best songs as of yet], Blood to Bleed, Tip the Scales. The simply yet straight forward lyrics are like poetry, any more complex and they wouldn't be good to sing along with. I'm sure RA makes all their songs with live performances in mind, which I think A_LOT of bands need to take a note of. Now I just can't figure out why bands like sum41 and good charlotte get put on MTV representing "punk". It's a disgrace with bands like these around going unknown to mainsteam. They deserve the money even if for RPM alone.

Anonymous (August 16, 2004)

Metal is the shit. Classic Rock is the shit. Reggae is the shit. Ska is the shit. Hardcore is the shit. Punk Rock is the shit. Alternative hard rock and funk is the shit. Progressive-Psychadelic is the shit.

State of the union is probably the best album on that CD (or Dancing for Rain) but who cares if it sounds like Metal. Nothing gets a crowd moshing like some hardcore metal or punk. Broaden your musical tastes and take off your emo-belt.

Anonymous (August 16, 2004)

I can see why the guitarist left. What a fucking disappointment.

Anonymous (August 16, 2004)

Definitely a good album and worth the incredibly low price. (for a full length release by a single band) With the usual wide variety of topics in their lyrics ranging from personal relationships to scathing views on world politics, Siren Song adds new variety to Rise Against's volume of great songs.
Allthough a few of the songs on this CD do seem a little drawn out, the musical edgy-ness (hyphenation makes it credible!) is carried over from the last 2 releases.
No, its not The Unravelling. No, its not Revolutions Per Minute. But its still pretty damn good.

I looked for this today in a couple places and couldn't find it. If this is cheap I'll probably get it anyway cause it's RA.

To clarify for the person that cared my score was for the song I heard, I didn't think I'd have to spell it out. I'd listen to more on purevolume if my modem speed wasn't way too slow.

Anonymous (August 15, 2004)

"I'll just go back to listening to my New Found Glory CD... now thats some good punk."

oooh yes like thats defintely good punk. hahahah Rise Against kicks ass and will always kick ass...this record is awesome.

Anonymous (August 15, 2004)

I just can't seem to take this record out of my stereo. I fuckin' love it.

I don't love you any more is all I remember you telling me. Never have i felt so cold.

Anonymous (August 15, 2004)

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!....What a fucking disapointment this cd was.....The first tunes kicks you in the ass and then it goes to shit......They even ruined the once cool acoustic tune Swing Life Away .....

Rise Against rock, they need to come back to NY so I can see them a 3rd time.

Anonymous (August 15, 2004)

After listening to this record a couple of times, I think that it is at least as good as their first two records, and that if it was released on fat wreck chords it would be getting better reviews. Tim's lyrics, unfortunately, have not shown any signs of improvement, but I don't question his emotion when he sings.

Anonymous (August 14, 2004)

Up with the kiling tree, that is all i have to say. They rule and have Tim from Rise Against on vocals. Dont know what i am talking? about find out...www.thekillilngtree.com

Anonymous (August 14, 2004)

I think this cd is better than their first two. This band has shown the natural maturation process that you would expect most bands to have(however with punk bands it's not usually that way).

I think this is the second or third best cd of 2004 so far, with the new Descendents being number one and the new Bad Religion right in the mix. I'm hoping the new Strung Out will be in the mix aswell.

Anonymous (August 14, 2004)

"as opposed to the cover of their last two albums which were just...wonderful..."

hahah, no way man that grenade with headphones is bomb!!!!

and the silver surfer hawk thing on the unraveling is dope like fuckin gobots biiiiiitch!!!

Anonymous (August 14, 2004)

does anybody find the second to last song oddly reminiscent of Elliot Smith?

Anonymous (August 14, 2004)

"who cares about how bad the music is what about the cover artwork who drew that shit weak all around"

as opposed to the cover of their last two albums which were just...wonderful...

"After about 3 months on this site I've realized that "jones the bones" and "BSD" seem to think their musical tastes and knowledge are far superior to the rest of us "retards". "

I dont claim to have any music knowledge other than knowing what sounds good though. that is key. i like what sounds good. thats y you are a retard, you dont know what sounds good. i do. just ask me next time and i will tell you what sounds good, without all the fucking i know more trivia than you attitude. new found glory has a good song

- jones the bones

- steve

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

who cares about how bad the music is what about the cover artwork who drew that shit weak all around

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

After about 3 months on this site I've realized that "jones the bones" and "BSD" seem to think their musical tastes and knowledge are far superior to the rest of us "retards".

I'll just go back to listening to my New Found Glory CD... now thats some good punk.

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

I forgot the " " on the last comment starting with "uh"

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

Uh... When did DBS break up? I didn't know 3 bands on major labels were so big in the elite hipster scene. Do you buy all your music at Best Buy?

???? Please try making sense next time

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

Hella good! i haven't stop listening to it sence i got it!!

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

bad religion/rise against tour this fall!! woohoo!!

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

it's not catching me immediately like RPM did, but it is a very good album. I've listened to it twice now and more and more seems to satand out.

Track #6 stands out the most for me so far. Track #8 is also a ggreat melodic punk song

better than a lot of other hardcore and punk records being released right now, even if not better than their own previous two efforts

and I said 'most', not 'all' for those of you who are prepared with lists of albums to present tht are better than this one

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

I think this is a great album. Like most, I was a bit skeptical after hearing "State of the Union"; however, I was blown away when I listened to the entire album. I liked RPM, but it certainly wasn't The Unraveling. That was a classic. I think you can tell Tim's vocals sound much better on this album than the previous two.

"I must agree #7 should be the single because to me it has the most energy."

When do punk bands ever release the most energetic song on their record as The Single? It's always the most boring (and often, to the band's actual fans, the worst) track.

And I haven't (nor will I, probably) listened to this album because Rise Against sucks.

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

This album is amazing. Just listen to Paper Wings (track 4). So many of you guys are complaining but I'm sure not even half of you guys reviewing this have even listened to this album. They didn't tone this down at all. Take a listen to the first track and then tell me they've toned down. It's as if most of you guys like any sort of change at all and when anything comes out you have to bitch about it. Stop complaining and listen to their first album then if you don't like their new stuff. Siren Songs is like a continuation of RPM in my opinion. It's not a drastic change and it's not as good as RPM but it rocks hard. This band is the mest melodic hardcore hands down along with Strike Anywhere and Good Riddance. For you guys still bitching, get a life seriously. Nothing makes you happy.

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

Haha, dazed, you suck... you only heard ONE song and rated the entire album after that. Fucking pathetic.

Anonymous (August 13, 2004)

I love these comments about "Rise Against isn't hardcore so I give them a 2". You people are the most ignorant, self-centered, embarassments. You make music less enjoyable because you want the music you listen to to be bad before you even hear it. It's fuckin pathetic, seriously, grow up and LISTEN instead of trying to hear only what you want to.

And no, I'm not preaching to like this album. I could care less if you legitimately don't like it. But comments like "They're on a major, so screw em" or "It doesn't sound exactly like TU or RPM so it's automatically bad" make me sick. And people who only hear one song, are absolute morons if they are posting a review of AN ENTIRE ALBUM. Christ, you people suck.

From the songs I'ver heard (almost all) I think it is a good album, but not much more. RPM and esp. the Unraveling were better, imo. I dont know, some of the songs sound not too different from the songs on RPM, i was expecting otherwise. They really need to write more songs with a 'hardcore' edge like the first song on this album, and like they've done in the past. You can debate all you want whether or not they are a 'hardcore' band, or have hardcore roots or whatever, but I like the faster songs they used to write with the good ol' scream from Tim. I still like this band, I guess I was expecting more.

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

this score is for my penis.

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

This score is for your misspelling of "genius", genius.

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

I am in shock to see so many people here bitching about this record. I hate to say this, but some of you are far too pathetically involved in your little personal worlds of music politics.

I decided to listen to a random song on Purevolume and picked "To Them These Streets Belong" cause the clunky title caught my eye.

I hate to say it, but it kind of sucked.

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

I have no problem with this album, as a matter of fact I find it awesome. To me it's as good as RPM, maybe even better. It grows on you.

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

lets see here... how can i put this??? This album is horrible, and the new guitarist needs to be shot. Tim's lyrics went way fuckin downhill, its not hardcore at all. This ain't fuckin' SR71, guitar-dude, so stop playing the lamest punk guitar ever recorded and fucking rock. This band needs a new guitarist, and he will be #4!!! The first song is the only good one. This shit stinks. Dammit, I still love this band but fucking COME ON!

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

These guys look like St. Vitus. Sad thing is, St. Vitus rocks a billion times harder.

"They say I rock much too slow"

-BSD

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

I thought it was medicore from the first play through. The CD doesn't do much for you after the first time through, it just gets boring, sounds like a bunch of new AFI overproduced bullshit. I got pissed off and listened to all three albums for the last few hours at work.

TU: Great bass lines, basically a perfect replacement for 88FL. Saw 2 shows after this album, both unbelieveable.

RPM: Came up with their own sound, one of my favorite CDs of all time, still listen to it over and over. Different from TU, but equally good albums. Saw 2 shows after this album, great shows, but seemed to be lacking someting.

SSCC: Absolute bullshit. I saw this coming when I heard they played no songs from TU at their Warped Tour shows. I was already worried about them signing Dreamworks, but this confirms what I knew would happen. I'll see them at Bumbershoot in September, but my expectations are very low after hearing SSCC.

RA became one of my 5 favorite bands (NUFAN, Strung Out, F2F, Guttermouth) after I heard RPM, but I can see they threw everything away. I just hope they turn things around after they realize what crap they're producing.

DBS are amazing
and some of the nicest people i've ever met in my life

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

what i love aboust rise against is that you cant put a lable on them. Thier niether emo, hardcore or punk . their kind of a mix of all three. good shit. if you listen to the cd more than just once, you'll give the same marks on the albumn as i did

Anonymous (August 12, 2004)

DBS are a good modern band, but have NOTHING on the Buzzcocks or the Dolls.

you guys are wierd and strange and retarded. its like a different world here

score is for when people say "score is for.." something other than the particular review item. bitches

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

HAHAHAHAHAH The beginning of Paper Wings is Reach the Sky's Sadness Alone. What a shitty band to rip off

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

"People on this site BASH every new album that comes out... is nothing good enough for you people?

Strung Out's "heaviest album to date" will probably be bashed to shit too, and so will Propagandhi's new album. You'll probably call them both sellouts or trend-jumpers or whatever fucking elitest opinion you can give.

I honestly don't give a fuck about bands like Death By Stereo or the Buzzcocks, New York Dolls, or whatever fucking elite shit that you hardcore punks listen to. "

Uh... When did DBS break up? I didn't know 3 bands on major labels were so big in the elite hipster scene. Do you buy all your music at Best Buy?

-BSD

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

this score is for Death By Stereo

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

People on this site BASH every new album that comes out... is nothing good enough for you people?

Strung Out's "heaviest album to date" will probably be bashed to shit too, and so will Propagandhi's new album. You'll probably call them both sellouts or trend-jumpers or whatever fucking elitest opinion you can give.

I honestly don't give a fuck about bands like Death By Stereo or the Buzzcocks, New York Dolls, or whatever fucking elite shit that you hardcore punks listen to.

Fuck the punk scene, fuck the division.

Punk is dead, Punk Rock isn't.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

tim: stop trying to look and sound like jesus el savior.

It's no Dom Years or Behind Bars, but Smokin' Joe's mad skillz still satisfy my soul

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

definitely no RPM, but it's still worthwhile.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

The PETA sticker from the inside of this CD is going right on my synthetic wood sk8 deck! sick, brah!

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

i like this band, but the only song so far i have liked is #1, and i always thought "give it all" was a pretty shitty song. dude, and they're straight edge. hate edge! rape fest?

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

to the guy who asked Why do i feel like the only person who thinks "The Unraveling" is better than "Revolutions Per Minute"
i'd say 88 fingers up your ass or the dom years beats any of those albums! ha

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

i've heard this band and i honestly don't see why everyone loves them. and i'm not trying to be a prick w/ that comment either. i just don't get it. maybe i'm getting old...

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Not as good as there older stuff. The production is shit (not over-produced, shitty production) Its way too loud. Also, not enough music on here imo. I still love the guys and will catch them in a couple weeks when they play here, but overall the album is a slight dissapointment.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

the biggest disappointment of the year. yeah its obvious the first song is there to show everyone that they didn't sell out to be on dreamworks and that they are still a hardcore band. the rest of the songs are boring and lackluster just like the new guitar players stage presence. tim's voice is still good though, so this gets a 2. or and i wonder why geffen hasnt done any promotion for this record? i doubt fat would have ignored them like geffen is

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Why do i feel like the only person who thinks "The Unraveling" is better than "Revolutions Per Minute"?

i think this cd is as good as The Unraveling, and quite a bit better than RPM. Life Less Frightening and Dancing For Rain kick the most ass so far.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

"I'd also go out on a limb and say that structurally, Kid Dynamite's music was more complex than Lifetime. Though Paint it Black is kinda a "back to basics" scenario that defies my logic. "

You know what's sad? I see Kid Dynamite songs mislabled as Rise Against songs all the time on Soulseek and Shareaza, and usually the kids that have these MP3s have never heard of Kid Dynamite...the first time I was really excited cuz I thought it was Rise Against covering Kid Dynamite...

And as for Paint It Black, that's the band that Dan Yemin has always wanted to be in... a pissed of political hardcore band... he enjoyed being in Lifetime...but he didn't like the fact that his hardcore band was playing songs about girls...Kid Dynamite though did fill that void to an extent...with socio/politcaly consious lyrics...but I think he still wanted more.

this album is kinda weird. granted, i don't think it equalled either the raw intensity that "the unraveling" showcased so well, nor the emotion that "revolutions per minute" did. however, they evolved into a more mature sound on this album.

granted, paper wings sucks. so what? who the fuck cares? one damn song isn't that cool. it took a bit of time to grow on me but tracks 6 and 7 grew on me pretty damn fast. overall its a slightly different sound, but when it boils down to it all, you can still hear all the elements that set rise against apart from all the other bands in "siren songs."

this band had to falter eventually. releasing their two first albums with such a high caliber, its hard to keep that up. and the best part about it is that even tim can take the weaker songs on this album and still rip shit up live with them. good review, i wholly agree for the most part.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Shouldn't the first word be "amid" and not "amidst"? I stopped reading at that point.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Rise against is one of the hardest rocking passionate punk bands out there.... I think this cd is a perfect mix of "the unravelling" and "revolutions per minute".... The review did not do this great cd any justice..... Fuck anyone who disagrees

Show me where they call themeselves "hardcore", because most bands don't like to label themselves.

And Ian was a driving force in the music of Minor Threat, duh. But he began to grow musically, and started Fugazi.

I'd also go out on a limb and say that structurally, Kid Dynamite's music was more complex than Lifetime. Though Paint it Black is kinda a "back to basics" scenario that defies my logic.

In a nutshell, artists grow. Be it in the same band progressing, or in new band trying something different than the music of previous bands, all good artists grow somewhat. Compare Green Day's 'Kerplunk' with 'Warning', maybe Kerplunk has more raw emotion, but its difficult to maintain that type of energy for so long. Thats where bands evolve, to keep the music fresh and interesting to them, and hopefully those who choose to listen.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

"You my friend, are an idiot.

Take your example, Minor Threat. Look what they evolved into... FUGAZI, you ignorant shit. Most bands further develop their sound through the incorporation of melody and song structure. Hardcore (which I love) is simplistic in nature, being that *most hardcore music fairly easy to play and create.

This album, while maybe a little over-produced (see track #1's intro) is leaps and bounds much more musically progressed than 'The Unraveling' and I think has a much better overall flow to it than 'Revolutions ..'."

Ha, and you're calling that kid an idiot. Minor Threat didn't turn into Fugazi dumb ass, Ian just started that band after Fugazi, and considering that Lifetime didn't become Kid Dynamite, I think the same logic, or in your case, lack of logic, applies.

Just because something is more musicaly progressive, doesn't mean it is better, you yourself said hXc is simplistic, and since Rise Against calls itself a hXc band, The Unraveling is a better album.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

You my friend, are an idiot.

Take your example, Minor Threat. Look what they evolved into... FUGAZI, you ignorant shit. Most bands further develop their sound through the incorporation of melody and song structure. Hardcore (which I love) is simplistic in nature, being that *most hardcore music fairly easy to play and create.

This album, while maybe a little over-produced (see track #1's intro) is leaps and bounds much more musically progressed than 'The Unraveling' and I think has a much better overall flow to it than 'Revolutions ..'.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

After being a Rise Against fan since they played the Fireside in Chicago, I don't think I can truly express how I feel about this album. Paper Wings is an aweful song, it sounds like lyricaly they gave up, and the guitar, well Coheed and Cambria called, they want their generic pop-punk riff back. I mean I remember them covering Betray by Minor Threat, and lets face it, very little of this album carries on in the tradition of Minor Threat. This is not a hardcore album, this is Rise Against toning down in hopes of making a little money. I knew this was coming too, I saw it when they took The Art of Losing out of the live show and put in Like the Angel. It's still better than most of the absolute shit that is out there, including the whole of indie, but god. The Unraveling looks like it should have been their third release, and this their first/

And "Paperwings" sounds the most "single-worthy", but damn, "Tip the Scales" is a jam and a half.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

steve jones. i know that you are not an anal virgin, because last night i gave it to you HARD.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Did anybody also get this for a ridiculously low price like I did? ($9.99 CDN) Great CD considering what it could have been being on a major.

I saw about fifty copies on sale for 8,99 CDN at HMV. I didn't buy it though. Save a few songs off of "The Unraveling," I hate this band.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

One more thing, the new pistol grip is also quite good-oldpunker-

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

I picked this up after work yesterday, brilliant work, the sincerity and passion that has become synonomous with ra is loud and clear in the music and lyrics. I never thought they could top rpm...... They just did-oldpunker-

if all you can get is a chubby 64 year old woman, then be my guest you desperate lonely man

- jones the bones

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

im fairly disappointed. Overproduction is not glossy guitars, or nicely harmonized vocals, that is a production CHOICE, so I have no problem with the major label budget on this.

My problem is that overproduction is when a songs sound is altered by adding refinements and elements to a song past the point of its perfection.

That is why I shall call this overproduced, not because of there label affiliation or budget.

"Swing life away" is a great great song. Its simplicity and lack of background layers is its strength. The version on here took all its rough edges, and "front porch" appeal away. His voice sounds plastic wrapped, the background vocals are heavy and too in front, the bigness added to it is like adding a heavy frosting to an angel food cake.

.....cause, you should just use a light glaze.....i like angel food cake, i feel deeply about it is all im saying.....fuck you.
wyzo

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

this band lost all the energy they ever had 2000 years ago. first song is almost decent, until you realize that it was an attempt to make their major release sound not as pathetically weak as it actually is. did they really think we'd skip the rest of this weak sauce cd? this band should lose all of its members and replace them with chicks on the rag combing each others' hair; at least the chicks could kick this bands ass in a fight.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

... and chris chasse's an asshole!

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

I bought mine for $8.98. Hopefully this cd will grow on me.

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Oh wait I meant this score to be posted for Shout At the Devil by the Crue. Oh Rise Against, their cool also.

I enjoy the album, but I miss the relentless act of the guitar i was used to hearing from them. And I do have to say it has been an interesting shift from Rise Against being known as ex-88 Fingers Louie by a bunch of Chicago punks who missed 88 Fingers to being a headling band of Warped Tour and 88 Fingers Louie are now known as members of Rise against

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

haven't listened to it that many times, but it seems really good. i dont like the guitar on "paper wings"
also, i dont know why everyone hates state of the union. that song fuckin rips, and give it all is awesome too.

buy buy buy

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Did anybody also get this for a ridiculously low price like I did? ($9.99 CDN) Great CD considering what it could have been being on a major.

this album is good
not as good as RPM or TU
but it is still a very good album
it's major draw backs are the fact that it is way over produced and the apparent lack of crunchie basslines

Anonymous (August 11, 2004)

Upon first listen of RPM I didnt really enjoy it all that much, but it grew on me with every listen. I imagine this album will do the same. Although I was hoping for some heavier, more prominent bass lines from Joe. Still I think it will grow to be a cd that satisfies the majority of you listeners.

i have a bunch of rise against on my comp but never wanted to really buy an album...is this one worth getting for a first timer. a virgin (except not an anal virgin cause alot of the people here think i fuck dudes in the ass). but seriously, is this a good enough album to pic up as my first. is any of this shit gettin radio play?

really love this album. is it revolutions per minute? perhaps not. but there are some amazing, amazing breakdowns (the sort of staple of rise against) and some very talented songwriting. the music seems perhaps the step backward for signing to a major and losing todd... but i think they'll progress.

I think it was a HUGE mistake for Rise Against to go to Dreamworks because as far as I've seen they haven't done jack shit to hype up and promote this release. Seriously I haven't seen that much promotion for this CD except on the internet.

That and I went to Best Buy to try and pick this up today but they didn't have any so I had to order it on interpunk today. Shit even Fat Wreck would make sure to have plenty of their CD's available the first day at places like Best Buy.

Oh well I heard that Rise Against is going to support Bad Religion for their fall tour so I guess that will be great for them.

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

This CD gets worse as it goes along! The best song is track #1! AFter that, the pussy whiny singing vocals take over and the cool screaming is gone!

The end of the CD suddenly takes an acoustic folky turn at what point makes it an almost TOTAL loss!

Where's the supposed "hardcore" in their sound? Track #1 is the only song that lives up to that description!

I am VERY disappointed!

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

meh Sandwich time. The production on Track 1 is pretty thick/ugly. How many more times can one stand to hear that chord progression to boot? This is nothing new, I took a stance in terms of them signing to major label declaring that I felt it was a good move for their career. Putting out repetitive done to death music ain't exactly what I was talking about unfortunately. I consider "Revolutions Per Minute" light years ahead of this

Barkley

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

The brilliant "Rumors Of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated" could be (in my opinion) one of the best songs ever recorded.

"I saved a nested version of "Punknews_org Rise Against Signs To Dreamworks.htm" and it was 420 kb."

Hah, Rancid Joins The Bunny makes that look like nothing.

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

I saved a nested version of "Punknews_org Rise Against Signs To Dreamworks.htm" and it was 420 kb.

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

what a terrible review for a great album... honetsly if you like The Unraveling/RPM/The Killing Tree you will like this just as much if not more. HOW COULD YOU NOT COMMENT ON LIFE LESS FRIGHTNENING. That's an amazing song not the mention the lyrics: "Truth be told I've settled for a life less frightening." I must agree #7 should be the single because to me it has the most energy. I CAN NOT WAIT to see them play these new songs live.

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

Rise Against is one of the few bands that hasn't had their sound watered down by a major label...this was an awesome cd.

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

Poppier and lighter sounding than RPM, solid CD except for about 3 songs. State of The Union is dope, fuck emo. Also the previously released songs "Swing Life Away" and "Give it All" were different versions. This Version of Give it All is wayyy better. Swing life away is not as good as the original version. Fuck indie rock and emo and pop punk. So what if its got a few bad songs, its better than most crap out there.

Yeah, you said that already (see ltj review below" You're three word opinions are boring as fuck.

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

This band sucks.
Sorry. Nothign new .. Nothing special..

Anonymous (August 10, 2004)

This is one of the best albums of the year and it demonstrates how talented Rise Against really is. They've embarked on some new sounds, but never broke too far away from their original sound. The first time I listened to it, I thought it was just average, but after listening to it with a fresh mind, I was blown away by how melodic and well crafted every song is. Buy this album.